Civility has eluded council, some say

Others say the often-spirited debate has not hampered city business

Following years of rancor and infighting during previous administrations that left some City Council members yearning for change, there was hope that things would be different in November 2007 when newly-elected mayor Susan R. Hoffmann called for peace and civility in her inauguration speech.

She promised "cooperation and conciliation" in her address to the audience at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville.

Tensions had grown as Hoffmann, a former member of the council, and Councilwoman Anne M. Robbins had little interaction outside of official city business, and Robbins and former mayor Larry Giammo often exchanged heated words.

Hoffmann promised things would be better and Robbins, beginning her fifth term, said that Hoffmann was setting a different tone than the outgoing mayor.

"It's a whole different ballgame, and I like the way she's pitching," Robbins said at the time.

Now, almost two years later, the ballgame had changed yet again.

"The mayor now does not communicate with me," Robbins said, referring to conversations outside of City Hall. "It's been months and months."

But Hoffmann fervently denied the accusation.

"It's not true," Hoffmann said. "Just because she said it doesn't make it so."

Strong personalities have clashed over a few key issues and created rifts on the council that some see as minor annoyances and others see as major obstacles to carrying out city business. But nearly all agree that since the momentary truce after the 2007 elections, the rhetoric among council members — and occasionally residents — has escalated.

Boiling point

A recent three-week argument over an opinion column written by Councilman John Britton, part of which was published in The Gazette, is proof of the growing tensions.

The column, in which Britton analyzed the city's recently-passed 2010 budget and the 3-2 vote that pushed it through, criticized Robbins for her vote against the budget.

Britton said he wrote the column to support his vote on increasing compensation for city employees and to put out a counter-viewpoint to opinions expressed on a local blog from Robbins and a city resident. He said he was very careful to respond only to their viewpoints.

Britton e-mailed the column to City Manager Scott Ullery, who then forwarded it to heads of various city departments. Ullery said there is no city policy against forwarding information on to his staff that he feels they should read, and he frequently does so.

Robbins then publicly chastised Britton and Ullery for circulating the column, saying she was "hurt" that the column was sent behind her back.

Councilman Piotr Gajewski read the chain of e-mails from the department heads aloud at a City Council meeting to show the e-mails contained no critical comments of Robbins.

Councilwoman Phyllis Marcuccio said the e-mail was an effort to politicize the apolitical staff.

The discussion spilled over to the next two meetings, with residents joining in to offer their opinions.

Some criticized Gajewski for his response to residents who have gone before the council to give opinions on the budget. But Gajewski defended himself.

"A teacher stood before the council, held up a sign that said LAYOFFS' and professed that the city will soon need to lay off employees," he wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette. "I know the man pretty well; I have been to his house at his invitation. Spreading misinformation is very counterproductive. I told him that I was disappointed in him and that his students deserved better. Some have characterized this as an attack."

Ongoing problems

Some say the latest squabble over the budget column is just the tip of iceberg.

Marcuccio, who is running for mayor against Hoffmann this year after two terms on the council, called the rankling "a terrible distraction."

"I think the personality of the council has overshadowed the work of the council," she said. "It seems like we've picked up a lot of bad habits … and I feel like this will go on if we don't do something."

Hoffmann, who brought up the need for civility during her inauguration speech because she said something needed to be done, thinks civility can still be realized in this term.

"In order to achieve civility, everyone must be committed to it," she said, but declined to comment on specific people or incidents.

The work of the city is still being done, despite all the infighting, Hoffmann said.

Gajewski and Britton also believe that city business has moved forward unaffected by any infighting on the council.

"The whole notion of civility, or lack of civility, has nothing to do with government," Gajewski said.

He pointed to the current council's "long list of accomplishments" and noted that on really big items, with the exception of the most recent budget, there have been unanimous votes.

Britton agreed, saying, "When you look at what has been done, what is getting done, the answer is a lot."

Robbins said the fighting has put the city's interest on the back burner. She said the only way to return civility to the council is through new leadership. Robbins has not yet decided if she will seek another term on the council, but the others have said they will run for office.

Giammo said that under his administration, political posturing and badgering of staff "almost constantly" by Robbins, but sometimes by Marcuccio, was distracting and inappropriate.

"It was so destructive to have council members demonizing staff, especially when it's not true," Giammo said. "It's just not fair."

Marcuccio remembers it differently.

"My first day on the council, and even before that, I was very aware that Anne Robbins and [outgoing councilman] Robert Dorsey were not, let's say, the favorites of the council," she said. "Their reputation preceded them, and I found the commentary I'd received to be not very fair."

Several attempts to reach Robbins to respond to Giammo's comments were unsuccessful by press time Tuesday evening.

Robbins has contended in the past that Giammo stopped talking to her, Marcuccio and Dorsey during the last months in office in the previous administration. The problem has carried over into this administration as well, she said.

"I have no idea what she's talking about," Giammo said. "I made as constructive an effort as possible with all council members to have as effective a council as possible."

Election focus

Robbins said she believes the "biggest problem" is that Hoffmann "has brought the slate mentality onto the council, which has everyone in lock step," Robbins said.

Hoffmann is skeptical of the accusation. "It sounds like an effort to manufacture an issue," she said.

No one has run on an official slate in nearly a decade.

But Robbins was left off the last slate formed in 2001 and has frequently characterized slates as not being good for Rockville.

She ran as an independent and won.

Now, seeing herself as an independent voice on the council, Robbins is unapologetic for how she responds to what she calls the "attack, attack, attack mentality" on the council.

"Yes, I am direct. Yes, I speak my mind," she said. "I make no apologies."

The slate system, as former mayor James Coyle describes it, was like electing a team that was committed to working together.

"There used to be two parties in Rockville and they put up slates for election for probably 30 years," he said.

The parties, not based on traditional political leanings (Rockville's elections are non-partisan), held conventions to select candidates with similar goals and philosophies, and they were often mostly elected together. This ensured that while there would be differences in opinion and spirited debate, there would also be more cohesiveness, he said.

"The history of Rockville was always about civil discourse," Coyle said. "You can disagree, but don't be disagreeable."

Former members of the council worry that too much mudslinging could hurt the progress of government.

John F. Hall Jr., a former councilman, said the fighting on this council is much more inhibiting than the arguing on previous councils.

"If [Rockville] Town Center were to come before the council today, we wouldn't have a Town Center," he said of the massive redevelopment project championed by Giammo.

But Hall said all it takes to be a good legislator is to care about the community and to be willing to work hard.

"It would be nice if everybody were nice or a sweetheart, but in my view, some of the sweethearts now are part of the problem," he said.

Civic activist and council candidate Drew Powell agreed that there is not a great deal of civility on the current council, and said this group is "categorically more dysfunctional" than the previous council.

"The only thing that's going to solve this is an election," he said.

Civility is such a hot topic in the upcoming election that nearly every candidate has made bringing it back part of his or her platform.

Council candidate Mark Pierzchala said he ran on civility two years ago when he made a bid for mayor, and it is part of his campaign again this year because the issue has not been resolved.

First-time council candidate Thomas Moore agreed.

"Debate and discussion is good, it's healthy," said Moore, who recently launched his campaign. "I don't think the council is in danger of turning into anarchy, but we're getting closer to that point."